On Monday, India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable, inter-continental ballistic missile, the Agni V, from Abdul Kalam island, off the coast of Odisha.
Defence sources said that the successful test-firing will pave the way for user trial of the India’s most potent missile – which has a range of over 5,000 km – and its eventual induction into the special forces command (SFC).
The three-stage, solid propellant surface-to-surface missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher from launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at about 1105 hours, DRDO sources said.
This is the fourth developmental and second canisterised trial of the missile.
While the first test was conducted on 19 April 2012, the second was on 15 September 2013 and the third on 31 January 2015 from the same base.
The 17-metres long, 50 ton surface-to-surface Agni V is the most advanced of the Agni series, sources said.
A number of indigenously developed technologies were successfully tested in the trial. The Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and the Micro Navigation System (MINS) helped the missile reach the target point within a few meters of accuracy.
President Pranab Mukherjee took to Twitter to congratulate the DRDO.
The indigenously-developed surface-to-surface missile, Agni-5, is capable of striking a target more than 5,000 km and can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne.
Currently, India’s armoury of Agni missile series includes the Agni-1 with 700 km range, Agni-II with 2000 km range, Agni-3 and Agni-4 with with 2,500 km to more than 3,500 range.
Unlike other missiles of Agni series, Agni V is the most advanced, having some new technologies incorporated with it in terms of navigation and guidance, warhead and engine. The high-speed on board computer and fault tolerant software along with robust and reliable bus guided the missile flawlessly, an official said
(With inputs from PTI)
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